Process and apparatus for the wet-treatment of materials



Sept. 23, 1969 H- FLEISSNER PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR THE WET-TREATMENT OF MATERIALS Filed July 25, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor:

FL E/SSNKK ilk/Fl P 3, 1969 H. FLEISSNER 3,

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR THE WET-TREATMENT OF MATERIALS Filed July 25, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 5? R i s I Fig.4 2/ E r 3 Inventor: 1

f/tl/VI FLE/JSI EIZ IKE:

United States Patent 3,467,975 PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR THE WET- TREATMENT OF MATERIALS Heinz Fleissner, Egelsbach, near Frankfurt am Mam, Germany, assignor to Vepa AG, Basel, Switzerland Filed July 25, 1967, Ser. No. 660,554 Int. Cl. D06c 1/06 US. Cl. 8151.2 23 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates to a process and apparatus for the wet-treatment of materials, for example, textile materials. More particularly, the present disclosure is directed to conveying a continuous length of textile materials through a treatment bath on the surface of conveying means such that there are at least two rows of the material length continuously exposed to the treatment medium.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a process and apparatus for the wet-treatment, preferably for washing and impregnating liquid-permeable materials which can be stressed in the lengthwise direction, such as tow, slivers, yarn, woven and knitted fabrics, needled felts and tufteds, fleeces and the like in a running length. According to the present process and apparatus, the material to be treated is passed through a treatment bath on at least one conveying means through which a treatment liquid flows, and said material is squeezed several times by means of rollers which are forced against the conveying means.

It is well known to treat materials continuously in suction drum wash bowls. In the known devices, one or several suction drums subjected to a suction draft are arranged in one treatment bath, said suction drums being immersed in the treatment liquid either completely or only partially. By means of the suction draft of the suction drums, the liquor is drawn through the material being treated and thus said material is intensively wetted and/or cleaned in the washing and or impregnating process. In order to intensify this process it has been suggested to pass the liquor alternately through the material. In the known devices, this is effected by providing at least two suction drums in the bath and by reversing the material when passing it from the first suction drum to the second suction drum. On the one drum, the material is guided at the lower portion thereof and on the following drum, the material is guided on the upper portion thereof. By using this measure an alternate application of the suction draft and thus an alternate penetration of the material is obtained. Furthermore, for intensifying the treatment effect, it is known to provide rollers at the circumference of the suction drum which squeeze the material penetrated by the liquid and resting against the suction drum. By utilizing this squeezing application, a more effective cleaning of the materials is possible and also the wetting of the material is improved. In addition adhering air bubbles can be more easily removed from the material by squeezing. The presently known suction drum wash bowls have a relatively small immersion path, that is, the material is exposed to the treatment liquor for only a relatively short period of time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to avoid the prior art disadvantages in the wet-treatment of materials, for example, textile materials.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved process and apparatus for the wet-treatment of textile materials wherein the material being treated is 3,467 ,97 5 Patented Sept. 23, 1969 exposed to the treatment medium for a relatively long period of time.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved process and apparatus for the treatment of textile materials wherein the material being treated is penetrated alternately by the treatment liquor in one passage through the treatment bath.

Other objects and further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter; it should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

Pursuant to the present invention, it has been found that the above-mentioned disadvantages may be eliminated and a much improved process and apparatus for the wet-treatment of textile materials may be obtained by passing the material to be treated in at least two layers or lengths through the treatment liquor and subjecting said material to the effect, preferably the suction effect of the conveying means, for example, suction drums. The material lengths are thereby passed around the suction drums and/or widely adapted to the suction drums. In a further embodiment of the present invention, the material being treated is guided through the treatment liquor in such a way that said material is penetrated alternately by the liquor in one passage through the treatment bath.

The material which can be wet-treated according to the process and apparatus of the present invention include the natural and synthetic fibers. The natural fibers can include, for example, cotton, wool, silk, cellulose, etc., and the synthetic fibers may comprise thermoplastic or thermosetting synthetic polymers such as polyolefins, e.g., polyethylene, polypropylene, etc., polyamides, e.g., nylon 6 obtained by the poly-condensation of caprolactam, nylon 66 obtained by the condensation of hexamethylenediamine with adipic acid, etc., polyesters, e.g., polyethylene terephthalate, etc. phenolic resins, e.g., phenol formaldehyde resins, urea-formaldehyde resins, etc., polyvinyl materials, e.g., polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl acetate, etc, acrylate resins, e.g., polymethyl methacrylate, copolymers of these materials with one another or with ethylenically unsaturated monomers, and similar type polymers.

The apparatus for carrying out the process according to the present invention differs from the well-known devices using sheet rollers distributed at the circumference of the suction drum in the particular material guidance system. Thus the material to be treated, that is the material length, is first passed around the rollers and the around the suction drum so that the rollers serve, on the one hand, as supporting and guiding elements for the outer material length and, on the other hand, as squeeze rollers for the inner material length resting against the suction drum.

In order to get along with as small amount of the liquor quantity as possible, it is suggested to arrange a liquid displacing body in the sieve drum. According to the present invention, this displacing element is designed tapered toward the suction side of the apparatus and/or toward the two suction sides in case a double-sided extraction apparatus is utilized. By using this shape with an adequate design of the tapering, it is ensured that the suction draft can be kept substantially constant over the whole working width.

Furthermore, it is desirable to support the rollers arranged around the suction drums without a special drive and thus to drive these rollers by means of the rotation of the suction drum on which they are supported. Also, it is advantageous to provide a guide roller at the inlet of the bath which is preferably correlated to the adjacent roller adjoining the suction drum in such a way that the nip of these two rollers is situated at the height of the liquid level so that the material, when entering the liquid, is guided through these two rollers. Furthermore, it is possible to guide the material around the suction drum in more than two lengths. However, for this purpose further guide rolls must be provided. Instead of rolls and with certain materials which may be stressed in the lengthwise direction, for example, with tows, stationary rods may be employed as well. Several suction bowls may be connected one behind the other and the liquid'exchange between adjacent bowls may be effected in a well known manner on the counter current principle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only and thus are not limitative of the present invention and wherein.

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal section of a suction drum wash bath according to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a section AA of the apparatus according to FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal section of another embodiment of the suction drum wash bath according to the present invention; and

FIGURE 4 is a section A--A of the apparatus according to FIGURE 1 wherein pump means are provided at both sides of the apparatus and the displacing element is tapered toward both sides of the apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals are used throughout the various views to designate like parts, the apparatus of the present invention comprises a trough 1, preferably an acid-resistant trough which is filled with treatment liquid and which contains a suction drum 2. At the one face of the trough a vanetype pump 3 is arranged which draws the liquid out of the suction drum 2 and pumps it into lateral spaces 4 from where the liquid flows back to the suction drum on all sides. Around the suction drums, rollers 5 are arranged which on the one hand, serve for guiding material 6 and, on the other hand, for squeezing the material resting against the suction drum 2. Another guide roller 7 is correlated to roller 5 at the inlet. The material to be treated is thus first supported by rollers 5 before it is deflected and supported by suction drum 2. The suction drum is almost completely embraced by the material, so that a battle which interrupts the suction draft as that portion of the suction drum which is not covered by the material being treated can generally be disposed of. When leaving the bath, the material 6 is passed via another guide roller 8 to a pair of squeezing rollers 9. Then the material 6 is passed onto the following suction drum bowl of the same design. The liquid exchange is effected via a pipe 10.

In order to use as small a liquor quantity as possible, a displacing element 11 which is tapered toward the suction side of the apparatus is arranged in the suction drum. By using the material guidance according to the present invention, it is possible to double the immersion path without enlarging the apparatus and to effect the suction draft of the suction drum at the outer material length as well. With washing, it is furthermore important that by the alternate penetration of the material, suspended particles which are carried along by the liquor and which may possibly adhere to material 6 are drawn off and are not carried along with the material 6 into the following bath. It is also possible to force the liquid into the suction drum instead of drawing it out of the suction drum and to thus provide material penetration in this manner.

FIGURE 3 shows a bath of the same design as that shown in FIGURES I an'd'ZIHOWeVe in this bath" the material is guided around the suction drum in three layers or lengths. The components made above concerning the apparatus of FIGURES 1 and 2 similarly to FIG- URE 3.

FIGURE 4 shows the feature of the present invention wherein pump means are provided at both sides of the apparatus and the displacing element is tapered toward both sides of the apparatus. Thus the treating medium is drawn out of the drum in the installation from both sides.

From an understanding of the present invention, it will be apparent that the material being treated can be first conveyed on the surface of the conveying means, e.g., the suction drum, and then on the guide rollers in a repeating path before being removed from the apparatus.

Since modifications of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, it is not desired'to limit the invention to the exact constitution shown and described. Accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A method for the wet-treatment of materials which comprises conveying a continuous length of material through a treatment bath on the surface of conveying means in repeating, opposite directions such that there are at least two rows of the material length continuously exposed to the treatment medium, and subjecting said material to a suction draft, thereby providing penetration by the treatment medium on both sides of the material length.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the material length is penetrated alternately by the treatment medium in one passage through the treatment bath.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the material to be treated is selected from the group consisting of tow, slivers, yarn, woven and knitted fabrics, needled felts and tufted, and fleeces.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the material being treated is squeezed while it is being conveyed through the treatment bath.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the material being treated is continuously guided through the treatment medium in at least two repeating rows.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the material being treated is conveyed through the treatment bath in one direction on the surface of conveying guide rollers and in the opposite and repeating direction on the surface of a suction drum thereby providing two rows of the material length in contact with the treatment medium at all times.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the treatment medium is drawn through the rows of material into the center of the suction drum and then returned to the treatment bath.

8. The method of calim 6,'wherein the guide rollers serve as supporting and guiding elements for the outer material length and as squeeze rollers for the inner material length resting against the suction drum.

9. The process of claim 6, wherein the guide roller means are driven by the rotation of the suction drum.

10. A method for washing and impregnating liquidpermeable materials which can be stressed in the length- Wise direction which comprises conveying a continuous length of said material through a treatment bath on the surface of conveying means in repeating, opposite directions such that there are at least two rows of the material length continuously exposed to the treatment medium, drawing said treatment medium through said material thereby providing penetration by the treatment medium on both sides of the material length, and returning'said treatment to the treatment bath.

11. The process of claim 10, wherein the material is penetrated by the treatment medium by forcing it into the conveying means.

12. An apparatus for the wet-treatment of textile materials which comprises a trough means, at least one conveying means subjected to a suction draft disposed within said trough means, said conveying means being provided-at at least one end thereof with a pump means which provides the liquid circulation, said conveying means providedwith guide roller means at the outer surface of said conveying means, inlet means for introducing the material to be treated to said conveying means and outlet means for removing the material from the apparatus.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the conveying means comprises a suction drum.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the guide roller means are spaced apart along the circumference of the suction drum.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the conveying means is substantially surrounded by at least one row of guide roller means, the rollers in each row being displaced about the same distance from the conveying means.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the adjacent guide roller means of adjacent rows are forced toward each other and squeeze the material being treated.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein a displacing element is provided in the conveying means.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the displacing element is tapered toward the suction side of the apparatus.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, comprising a two sided extraction wherein pump means are provided at both sides of the apparatus and the displacing element is tapered toward both sides of the apparatus.

20. An apparatus for the wet-treatment of textile materials which comprises a trough means, at least one suction drum rotatably disposed within said trough means, said suction drum being provided at at least one end thereof with a pump means which draws a treatment medium out of the suction drum and returns it to said trough means, said suction drum being substantially surrounded at its outer surface by at least one row of guide roller means, inlet means for introducing the material to be treated to said suction drum and outlet means for removing the material from the apparatus.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein at least two squeeze roller means having opposing surfaces for the conveyance of material therebetween are provided at the outlet of the apparatus.

The apparatus of claim 20-, wherein a guide roller means is correlated to the roller means adjoining the conveying means at the inlet such that the nip of these two roller means is situated at the height of the liquid level.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein stationary rods are used as the guide roller means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,505,657 4/1950 Wentz 68-157 2,940,288 6/ 1960 Walker 68-484 WILLIAM I. PRICE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

